The New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has donated 849 bulletproof vests to the Dominican Republic to strengthen the safety of personnel working in prisons, criminal investigations and anti-drug operations.
The protective equipment was officially received by Roberto Santana Sánchez, director of the General Directorate of Penitentiary and Correctional Services (DGSPC), together with Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso, Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, president of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), and Wilson Camacho, director of prosecution at the Attorney General’s Office.
Protective Equipment for Frontline Personnel
Santana described the donation as an important contribution to improving the protection of prison officers and other law enforcement personnel who regularly work in high-risk environments. He also credited Dominican Consul General in New York Jesús Vásquez Martínez for coordinating the initiative between New York authorities and Dominican institutions.
Attorney General Reynoso said the additional protective gear will improve the safety of prosecutors participating in raids, investigations and other field operations. Cabrera Ulloa added that the vests will also support officers involved in anti-drug enforcement, including evidence collection and operational activities carried out by the DNCD.
Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation
Consul General Vásquez thanked the New York prison system for its collaboration, describing the donation as another example of the ongoing cooperation between New York and the Dominican Republic on public security matters.
The equipment will be distributed among personnel from the DGSPC, the Attorney General’s Office and the DNCD, reinforcing operational safety for officials performing duties that involve heightened security risks.